1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for image capturing, apparatuses and methods for playback, and programs, in particular, to an apparatus and method for image capturing, an apparatus and method for playback, and a program that can improve operationality.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital video cameras that employ a touch panel placed on an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel are widely used. Touch panels allow users to perform operations by directly touching a screen thereof with a finger or the like.
Many currently available digital video cameras have functions of recording movies and still images on a plurality of recording media equipped thereto. These digital video cameras have modes, each set for the corresponding recording medium. Users change the modes by operating a switch. For example, a digital camera, which records images on recording media such as a magnetic tape and a memory card, has “a tape recording mode” and “a memory card recording mode”. In the “tape recording mode”, the digital video camera records images on the magnetic tape, whereas, in the “memory card recording mode”, the digital video camera records images on the memory card. Users change between these two modes by operating the switch.
In the “tape recording mode”, as shown in FIG. 1, buttons 1A and 1C are displayed on a screen of an LCD panel of the digital video camera. The button 1A allows users to instruct viewing of movies (or still images) recorded on the magnetic tape, whereas the button 1C allows users to instruct displaying of a menu screen having operation items listed thereon. Additionally, in the “memory card recording mode”, as shown in FIG. 2, buttons 1B and 1C are displayed on the screen of the LCD panel. The button 1B allows users to instruct viewing of still images (or movies) recorded on the memory card.
That is, a known digital video camera displays buttons for functions relating to the magnetic tape in the “tape recording mode”, whereas the known digital video camera displays buttons for functions relating to the memory card in the “memory card recording mode”.
In addition, some digital video cameras have a function of recording movies and still images on a plurality of recording media in a single mode regardless of the mode set for each recording medium. For example, a digital video camera records movies and still images on a plurality of recording media such as a magnetic tape and a memory card regardless of the above-described modes, i.e., the “tape recording mode” and the “memory card recording mode”.
In this case, the digital video camera records images in a single mode regardless of the types of the recording media. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, buttons 1A to 1C are displayed on a screen of an LCD panel.
That is, a known digital video camera displays buttons allowing users to instruct functions relating to both the magnetic tape and the memory card, when recording movies and still images on the magnetic tape and the memory card in a single mode (i.e., regardless of the modes set for the corresponding recording media).
Furthermore, an image capturing apparatus that displays a first icon, if content recorded on a first recording medium is not being played back in a playback mode set for the first recording medium and the apparatus is equipped with a second recording medium, is provided (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-8946). The first icon allows users to instruct playing back of content recorded on the second recording medium.
Since buttons are superimposed on a displayed image to allow users to select the buttons with touch panels, the buttons may cover the displayed image. Thus, users may undesirably have trouble seeing the displayed image.
For example, buttons 1A and 1B that are not touched while capturing images with a known digital video camera may cover the image being captured and displayed on an LCD panel. Due to this, users may have trouble seeing and confirming the image being captured.
In addition, some of buttons displayed on a touch panel are unnecessary and are not used by users. Displaying of these unnecessary buttons may irritate the users.
For example, a known digital video camera displays buttons for functions relating to all recording media while recording movies and still images on a plurality of recording media in a single mode. Users not using one of the recording media may consider the buttons allowing the users to instruct functions regarding the unused recording medium unnecessary. Displaying these buttons increases the number of buttons to be displayed, which may cause inconvenience.
More specifically, a digital video camera that records images on a magnetic tape and a memory card displays buttons 1A to 1C on a screen of an LCD panel thereof. Thus, for example, users not using the memory card do not need the button 1B. Displaying the button 1B may irritate the users.
Furthermore, an image capturing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-8946 records data on each recoding medium in separate modes for a first recording medium and a second recording medium. As described above, technological development now permits image capturing apparatuses to record data on both the first and second recording media in a single mode not in separate modes for each recording medium. In such a case, image capturing apparatuses that control displaying of buttons (e.g., icons) for each mode may not appropriately display the buttons.